CHAPTER V: HOPE

“To burn with desire and keep quiet about it is the greatest punishment we can bring on ourselves.” 

― Federico García Lorca, Blood Wedding and Yurma

~~~

Haerin had not felt this nervous in awhile. It had been two days since her encounter with the mysterious Hun and she was now pacing about her room anxiously, debating within herself whether to show up at the forest as promised. Her rational mind was giving her every reason under the sun not to — she barely knew the man and even though she had now met him thrice, she still could not figure out who he was and what he really wanted with her. However, she somehow still found herself inexplicably drawn to his enigmatic presence and, for lack of a better explanation, she instinctively trusted that he did not mean her any harm despite their dramatic first meeting. Perhaps it was because she found him intriguing. Very unlike the mild-mannered and gentlemanly Dong Jun, Hun carried himself with an air of regality that almost bordered into arrogance and the way he constantly cheekily made Haerin feel like they almost had a sense of familiarity between them. From the way he pestered her, she guessed that he probably knew her but yet she could not be entirely sure. His random outburst at their second meeting seemed to confirm her suspicions but yet he would clam up whenever she questioned him about his intentions or her past, or even better, avoid her questions with some cheeky remark altogether. Everyone had their secrets, Haerin knew that. While she wanted to know more, it was not in her personality to probe and she actually found herself being pretty content at her current situation. She was being treated well at the village and Dong Jun had made it clear that she was welcome to stay. If the cryptic Hun was the closest connection she had with her past but refused to tell her more, it probably meant that her past was not worth figuring out anyway. 

Letting out a sigh of determination, Haerin finally decided against her better judgement to see him again. It’s only because no one else in the village is willing to teach me how to shoot, she tried to reason to herself as she stepped out of her room. 

“Oh, you’re heading somewhere?” 

Startled, Haerin jumped back in surprise at the sudden presence. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you like that!” Dong Jun quickly apologised as he chuckled slightly at Haerin’s reaction. “Are you alright? Where are you headed?” 

Haerin bit her lips nervously in response as she tried to think of an excuse. “I’m just thinking of heading out to explore the nearby forest,” she answered timidly, trying her best to sound convincing. 

“The sycamore forest? It’s cold out though,” Dong Jun frowned protectively in response. “Do you want me to go with you?” 

“N-no, it’s fine!” Haerin hurriedly interrupted. “I just wanted to explore the surrounding parts of the village on my own, to familiarise myself with the area,” she added quickly as she saw the look of surprise on his face. 

That seemed to convince him as Dong Jun broke into that same comforting smile Haerin had grown accustomed to seeing on his face. 

“Alright, but try to get back before it gets dark?” 

Haerin grinned as she nodded quickly in response. Turning to head out of the house, she did not make it far before she was interrupted again. 

“Haerin, wait!” 

Before she could turn around, Haerin found herself enveloped in a thick knitted scarf as she came face to face with a smiling Dong Jun. 

“It’ll get cold in the forest, you’re not dressed warmly enough,” he explained as he proceeded to wrap his navy blue scarf snugly around her neck. 

Haerin could not help the blush that crept up her cheeks as she tried not to focus on their close proximity or the fact that she could now smell Dong Jun’s musky scent all over her. Managing to whisper a quick thank you, she rushed out of the house before her face could heat up any more. 

~~~

“I almost thought you chickened out on me.” 

No longer surprised, Haerin turned around smoothly to greet the familiar voice. 

“Must you always jump out on people like that? No wonder you have no friends!”

“Excuse me?” 

Seeing the look of indignation on his face, Haerin laughed to herself. “Well, seeing how you always find time to come here to make fun of me, I’m guessing you must either be pretty bored or have no friends back where you’re from,” she remarked, matter-of-factly. “I know you’re not from the village so unless you have actual business in the area, why are you always here?” 

To her surprise, instead of being outraged, Sehun merely chuckled as he moved closer to stare her down. “Well, you’re right in that I have no business being here apart from you, sweetheart,” he started, his face inching dangerously close. 

Unconsciously, Haerin in a breath as she stared back at his deep brown eyes that seemed to reach deep into her soul. 

Satisfied at her reaction, Sehun moved back nonchalantly before he continued. “But you’re wrong in that I am a very busy person and I have many friends,” he grinned, crossing his arms as he leaned comfortably against a nearby tree. “I just happen to always find time for you.” 

Rolling her eyes at his cheesiness that she had grown accustomed to, Haerin rested her arms on her hips as she tried to reign in his mischievousness. “Come on, let’s get down to business, how are you going to teach me how to shoot?” 

“Well, since this is pretty much a crash course, we’ll just have to tailor your training to the tournament itself. Do you know what you will be competing in?” 

Looking at a sheepishly smiling Haerin, Sehun sighed. “Never mind, we’ll probably only have time for the basics today anyway. Let’s work on your posture first, a stable posture is really the key to shooting well,” he continued as he bent over to pick up a bow and arrow. “This longbow should be easier to handle for beginners.”

As he began to explain the anatomy of the bow seriously and demonstrate its workings, Haerin unconsciously found herself being drawn to this side of Sehun that she had not seen before. In their previous encounters, the Hun she knew was always this cheeky, slightly cocky and borderline obnoxious man, but at that moment, all she was seeing was a serious and confident man who was clearly skilled at his craft, passionately explaining to her in meticulous detail the best way to shoot properly. Perhaps it was also the way he looked so perfectly handsome unde